TL/Editor: looloo


    Status: ongoing


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    "......"


    "......"


    "......"


    It''s chilling.


    A dagger pierces my heart...Heena''s disapproving snort stops Yoonsung and me in our tracks.


    Silence engulfs us, leaving us speechless. Only Sarang continues happily munching on her tteokbokki.


    Sensing the mood, Yoonsung makes his escape.


    "Well, back to work..."


    "Hey, you...!"


    This bastard drops a bomb and bails!


    But I couldn''t stop him - he was mid-shift after all. I watch him leave, then slowly turn to Heena.


    She greets me with a slight smile, seemingly unbothered.


    But her fingers tap rhythmically on the table like a metronome, betraying her displeasure.


    To be fair, it wasn''t worth getting worked up over. Just an innocent deration from our daughter.


    "Honey."


    "Y-yes?"


    "Your smile''s reaching the heavens. That happy?"


    "...This rascal has a mind of its own. I''ll have a word with itter."


    "Hmph."


    My instant joy didn''t sit well with her. Honestly, I could feel my own lips curling up.


    But isn''t this unavoidable? Sarang said she wants to marry me! How can I not be thrilled? Our daughter just said the cutest thing!


    Of course, I couldn''t voice these thoughts honestly. Who knows what might happen tonight if I did. So I swallowed my words and picked up my fork.


    "Heena. Want some fried food? Yoonsung packed lots of shrimp tempura. You like shrimp, right?"


    "Sounds delicious."


    "Right? Hold on. I''ll feed you."


    I quickly cut a shrimp tempura into thirds, dipped it in tteokbokki sauce, and tried to feed Heena. She probably wasn''t genuinely upset, just half-jokingly reacting. ??ＡNО???s


    But then.


    "I want some too! Dad! Ah~!"


    "......"


    Sarang perked up and intercepted the shrimp tempura. With her mouth wide open, I couldn''t pull back abruptly. She might topple onto the table.


    Heena stared dejectedly at my now-empty fork.


    "The shrimp tempura is super tasty! Dad, here, you try!"


    Not stopping there, Sarang picks up a fork and feeds me tempura. I nce nervously at Heena before epting it.


    It was delicious, I''ll admit. Though I might choke if I keep eating like this.


    "Dad, it''s good, right?"


    "It is..."


    "Now it''s Dad''s turn! Ah~"


    Somehow, we''ve fallen into a pattern of feeding each other. With no choice, I give Sarang another piece of tempura. She happily epts it.


    We exchange food a few more times. Then Heena, who''s been silently watching, speaks up.


    "Am I interrupting your date? Should I leave?"


    "No, you know that''s not it!"


    Shit, Heena''s really upset!


    ---Raei Trantions---


    Despite the brief incident, Heena''s mood improved quickly, likely due to the delicious tteokbokki and tempura.


    After all, it''s not strange for a young child to say such things. I never imagined I''d hear it in real life rather than in fiction.


    I made a mental note to exact revengeter on Jung Yoonsung, the instigator of this event.


    "Heading straight home?"


    "We''ll walk around first. Why?"


    "Take this. Lee Heena likes shrimp tempura, right? I packed extra."


    "Oh, thanks."


    I decided to let him off the hook for packing the shrimp tempura.


    Right. No point holding a grudge over something so trivial.


    Next to me, Sarang bowed politely, satisfied after inhaling her tteokbokki.


    "Uncle! It was delicious!"


    "Come y again. Want a Pikachu cutlet to go?"


    "Yes!"


    "Han Sarang."


    "No... it''s okay..."


    "O-okay."


    Heena put the brakes on Sarang''s gleaming eyes. I couldn''t cover for Sarang this time. Not because of her earlier statement, but because she''d eaten quite a lot of tteokbokki. Probably about half of it herself.


    "We''re off then. Thanks for the tempura~"


    "d you enjoyed it. Call when you''re free next time."


    "Bye-bye, tteokbokki uncle!"


    "Take care! I''m always here, soe y again!"


    As we said our goodbyes, Yoonsung''s words tugged at my heartstrings. A rather sad line.


    Since it''s rare for someone to stick around here for months, Yoonsung can''t leave the hall to anyone else. And the auntie has mostly stepped back from work.


    Anyway, after leaving the snack shop, we strolled slowly through the neighborhood. To aid digestion and enjoy the spring breeze.


    I held hands with Heena, fingers interlocked, while holding Sarang''s hand normally.


    "Sarang. Want to go to the yground?"


    "I want to walk with Mom and Dad~"


    "Then shall we take our usual route?"


    For our family, neighborhood walks were almost a daily routine. We''d sometimes go out on busy weekdays in the evening, and on weekends we walked almost every week.


    We didn''t chatter much during these walks. We just leisurely made a full round.


    Sometimes there was no conversation, but it wasn''t ufortable. We were far too settled now to feel those early dating sensations.


    Sarang waspletely used to it too. We''d been taking her on these walks since she was a baby in a stroller.


    But as we walked, something kept bothering me.


    Buzz! Buzz!


    "Sarang. Your phone keeps ringing?"


    Of course, this had beenmon since we got her the phone, but today Sarang''s phone seemed to be buzzing non-stop.


    "I think my friends keep sending messages~"


    "Don''t you need to check?"


    "I can''t look while walking!"


    "...Oh~ Right. Sarang, you''re so smart, aren''t you?"


    "Hehe!"


    Everyone always gives that warning to kids, but we adults rarely follow it ourselves, so I was momentarily confused by her response.


    Right. It''s dangerous to look at your phone while walking. I''ve warned her about that before. I should be more careful in front of Sarang.


    Heena, impressed by Sarang naturally following a rule we take for granted, paused to pat her head.


    "Well done~ Always do that. Understood?"


    "Yes!"


    "But didn''t we turn off notifications for the group chat? Are your friends sending private messages?"


    "I''ll check now~"


    These days, most first-graders have kid phones like ours. Plus, kids handle electronic devices from a younger age, so they''re quite adept at operating them.


    Right after we got her the phone, the ss group chat with the teacher and ssmates was practically on fire. We eventually had to turn off the notifications.


    We waited for Sarang to check her messages. While curious about the content, I didn''t want to check every conversation she had with her friends.


    It might feel like excessive interference from the kids'' perspective.


    Sarang quickly scanned the messages and put her phone away faster than expected.


    I figured it''d be okay to ask who sent them, even if I didn''t ask about the content.


    "Who sent them?"


    "Well~ Jooeun and Jina and Seyeon and Seojun and~ Also~"


    "Hold on, Sarang. Just a moment."


    I stopped Sarang as she listed her friends'' names, counting on her fingers. I knew the girls she mentioned - I''d yed with them at the yground, and Jooeun had been Sarang''s friend since they were babies.


    But who''s Seojun? Sounds like a boy''s name?


    "Who''s Seojun?"


    "Hehehe, honey~ Must be a ssmate~"


    Heena, catching on to my concern, chuckled and nudged my shoulder. I knew that much, but as a father, I needed to know more.


    This wasn''t interference, just trying to learn about Sarang''s friend I didn''t know.


    Really.


    "I know that, but Sarang. Are you close with Seojun?"


    "We''re close! Seojun gave me cat jelly too!"


    Sarang smiled, recalling when she received the jelly, saying, "It was delicious~"@@novelbin@@


    That cheeky brat, trying to win over Sarang with cat jelly?


    I was displeased, but I couldn''t express that to Sarang. How could I forbid kids from being friendly?


    Besides, there are probably plenty of kids showing interest in Sarang. Our Sarang has a great personality and is incredibly cute.


    Of course, being elementary students, they usually express their feelings childishly, but kids who straightforwardly offer food to get closer are extremely threatening.


    Those small acts of kindness tend to stick in one''s heart.


    But I couldn''t tell her not to ept snacks from Seojun. What kind of petty father would I be?


    As I swallowed my frustration, unable to voice these thoughts, Heena asked Sarang,


    "Sarang, who do you like more, Dad or Seojun?"


    "Dad! I like Dad way more!"


    "Really? How much more?"


    "This~ much!"


    As if trying to cheer me up, Heena winked at me while prompting Sarang''s answer. Sarang jumped up and drew a big circle in the air.


    Seeing that brought a smile to my face. Those foolish thoughts from earlier couldn''t linger any longer.


    Right. Kids can be friends. It''s just some jelly. I should buy him a slushie next time I see him.


    "Shall we y a game together when we get home?"


    "Let''s do it! Dad promised to build more houses with me in Animal Crossing!"


    "Oh~? Have you built many houses with Dad? I want to see too~"


    "Yes! Dad and I made bridges and lots of farms too! Right, Dad?"


    "Yeah. Sarang made them really pretty."


    The game Sarang mentioned was thetest Animal Crossing installment that Heeseong hyung and I had yed years ago. We received hyung''s old console, and Sarang and I created viges on separate ounts.


    Heena naturally steered the conversation to a topic that would make us feel good, then took my hand again and started walking.


    She truly was a dependable wife. She did show a bit of jealousy asionally, but that was just one of Heena''s cute traits.


    Sarang, eager to show off, held Heena''s hand and excitedly chattered about the game as we walked.


    "You know! I made Dad''s house too!"


    "Did you?"


    "Yes! It''s a house where Dad and I live together!"


    "You two already built a house together~ I don''t even have one yet. Sarang, you''re so lucky~ Having a house just for you and Dad~"


    "I want to y with Dad every day while living with him!"


    "Sarang likes Dad that much?"


    "I like him so so much!"


    "Dad must be happy~? Sarang loves him so much."


    "......"


    Heena looked at me with half-closed eyes, envious. I''m not sure if she''s envious of me or Sarang.


    Sigh... Here we go again. Can''t be helped. I''ll have to y a lot with Sarangter to tire her out so she sleeps in her own room.


    Then I''ll have tofort Heena at night. In the way she likes.


    I''ll have to engrave my love on her body again tonight.


    Author''s Note:


    Sarang will live with Dad forever!


    ---


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